Legendary former late night host David Letterman is on his way back to the small screen, although perhaps not how many of his fans expected. He'll host a six-part Netflix series that will also feature some very big guests for discussion. For a while, there was no saying when we might get to see this show hit the streaming circuit, but now we finally have our answer thanks to a brand new trailer. Take a look!
Judging by the trailer, Netflix and David Letterman are pulling out all the stops for Letterman's big return to television hosting. The show -- which will be called My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman -- has landed some guests who are very influential in the world today in a number of different arenas. Letterman managed to land a variety of guests who should provide different points-of-view. In fact, one of the few things that most of them have in common is that they can be pretty funny.
The guest list is comprised of movie star George Clooney, activist and Nobel prize-winner Malala Yousafzai, musical superstar Jay-Z, comedienne extraordinaire Tina Fey, radio personality Howard Stern, and former President Barack Obama himself. We can bet that no two episodes will be exactly alike based on who will be in the spotlight with David Letterman. Honestly, it's impressive that he landed some of these guests, especially the former President of the United States.
Interestingly, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction will not be released in the typical Netflix model that sees full seasons of a series dropped at the same time, enabling binge-watchers to work their way through episodes at a furious pace if they so choose. My Guest Needs No Introduction will be different, as only the first episode will debut on Friday, January 12. Each subsequent episode will hit the streaming service monthly from February to June. This new series will air somewhat more like a conventional broadcast show. It should be interesting to see if the format is a success for Netflix. If so, perhaps we'll see more shows using this release strategy.
Of course, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction is poised to become a one-of-a-kind project for any outlet. The series is currently slated for only six episodes of 60 minutes each, and each episode isn't coming cheap for Netflix. David Letterman is reportedly being paid $2 million -- yes, million -- for every individual episode, meaning that he'll earn a healthy $12 million for the first season. While $12 million is hardly the biggest price tag for a Netflix series, there are other costs of production to consider beyond Letterman's salary. Given that it will only run for six episodes, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction may turn out to be a very expensive project.
You can judge for yourself if the project is worth the investment when the first episode of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman debuts on Netflix on January 12. For your other viewing options now and in the coming weeks, take a look at our 2018 Netflix premiere guide and our midseason TV premiere schedule.
